Introduction: During the Frost's Descent solar term, different regions across the country have unique dietary customs. So, what do people eat during Frost's Descent in different places? In Shandong, the custom is to eat radishes, in Yulin, Guangxi, it's beef, and in Fujian, it's persimmons. Today, as we mark the last solar term of autumn—Frost's Descent—the editor will introduce you to the dietary customs of various regions for this occasion.
Every year around October 23rd of the Gregorian calendar, when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 210 degrees, it marks the Frost's Descent, the 18th of the 24 solar terms. Frost's Descent is the last solar term of autumn and a transitional period from autumn to winter.
During Frost's Descent, various regions have different customs, just like the well-known traditions of tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival, climbing heights on the Double Ninth Festival, eating zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings) during the Dragon Boat Festival, and admiring the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival—all of which are long-standing folk traditions associated with these solar terms. So, what do people eat during Frost's Descent? The editor will take you on a tour of the dietary customs of different regions.
Shandong: Eating Radishes
Shandong Farming Proverb: "End of Heat for sorghum, White Dew for millet, and when Frost's Descent comes, pull up the radishes." A radish after autumn is better than ginseng. Radish is a common vegetable and is also considered one of the staple dishes for autumn and winter. It can be eaten raw, in a salad, as a hot dish, in soups, congee, or even as a staple food, and can also be used in medicinal cuisine. White radishes with a white, non-translucent skin have a spicier flesh and should only be cooked. Radishes with a translucent skin and sweet, non-spicy flesh can be eaten raw. Eating raw white radish first helps relieve bloating. Second, as white radish corresponds to the lungs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and the lungs are associated with autumn, it can enhance the lungs' "descending" function, thereby relieving coughs and promoting bowel movements, as "the lungs and the large intestine are exteriorly and interiorly related."
Radishes contain the spicy component mustard oil, which promotes metabolism, helps prevent fat from accumulating under the skin, lowers blood lipids, softens blood vessels, and stabilizes blood pressure. It can help prevent and treat hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, coronary heart disease, and arteriosclerosis. However, patients with a weak spleen, loose stools, or hyperactive bowel movements should consume it with caution, or eat it with a small amount of ginger.
An appropriate amount of white radish and green olives, boiled in water to make a tea, can prevent and treat the flu. 250g of raw white radish and an appropriate amount of rice vinegar. Wash the radish and cut it into thin slices. Add a little Sichuan peppercorn and salt, then soak in rice vinegar for 4 hours. Drizzle with sesame oil before serving as a side dish. Consume twice daily. This recipe is cooling, relieves exterior syndromes, aids digestion, and detoxifies. It is used to treat constipation, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and also to prevent the flu.
Guangxi: Eating Beef
Many places in mainland China have the custom of eating beef during Frost's Descent. For example, in Yulin, Guangxi, locals traditionally start their day with a stir-fried rice noodle dish with beef for breakfast, and have beef stir-fried with radish, or beef brisket stew for lunch or dinner to replenish energy and pray for a warm and strong body through the winter. Besides beef, mutton and rabbit meat are also suitable for this season.
Beef is high in protein and low in fat, making it delicious and beloved, earning it the title "prince of meats." In TCM, beef is believed to tonify the middle jiao (the middle part of the torso containing the spleen and stomach), replenish qi, nourish the spleen and stomach, strengthen bones and muscles, resolve phlegm and calm wind, and quench thirst and stop salivation. It is suitable for people with prolapse of the middle jiao, shortness of breath, physical weakness, soreness in the bones and muscles, anemia, chronic illness, sallow complexion, and dizziness.
Beef is rich in protein, and its amino acid composition is closer to the human body's needs than that of pork. It can improve the body's disease resistance and is particularly suitable for supplementing blood loss and repairing tissues in people undergoing growth, post-surgery recovery, or convalescence. Eating beef in the cold winter has a warming effect on the stomach and is an excellent tonic for the season.
Fujian: Eating Persimmons
In some parts of China, people eat red persimmons during Frost's Descent. Locals believe this not only warms the body against the cold but also strengthens the bones and muscles, making it an excellent food for this solar term. The saying among the elderly in Quanzhou is: "Eat persimmons on Frost's Descent, and you won't get a runny nose." In some places, the custom is explained as: "You must eat persimmons on Frost's Descent, or your lips will crack all winter long." People in rural areas at this time will climb tall persimmon trees to pick a few bright, sweet persimmons to eat.
Persimmons not only have astringent, lung-moistening, hemostatic, and stomach-harmonizing effects, but they can also tonify deficiency, relieve alcohol intoxication, stop coughs, benefit the intestines, clear heat, and stop bleeding. They have extremely high nutritional value and are known as "the sweetest golden fruit." After the Frost's Descent solar term, persimmons that have been touched by frost are an even more delicious treat. They are tasty, inexpensive, and nourishing, so people in Fujian are accustomed to buying a few kilograms to enjoy slowly around this time.
However, the tannic acid in persimmons can form indigestible compounds with minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, and iron in food, making these nutrients unavailable for absorption. Therefore, eating too many persimmons can easily lead to a deficiency of these minerals. Also, because persimmons are high in sugar, eating them can be more filling than eating the same amount of apples or raw pears, which can affect appetite and reduce the intake of regular meals. It is generally recommended not to eat more than 200 grams of persimmons at a time and on an empty stomach.
Taiwan: Eating Duck
In the folk traditions of southern Fujian and Taiwan, people consume nourishing foods on this day, which is what we in the north often call "gaining weight for autumn." There is a saying in southern Fujian: "A year's worth of tonics is not as good as the tonic of Frost's Descent." This small proverb fully expresses the importance that people in the Minnan and Taiwan regions place on this solar term.
Therefore, every year at Frost's Descent, ducks in the Minnan and Taiwan regions sell like hot cakes, sometimes even selling out and being in short supply. The duck sellers are all smiles.
Duck is a waterfowl, and its meat is sweet and non-toxic. It is believed to tonify internal deficiencies, clear toxic heat, and promote urination. It can be used for headaches, yin deficiency with insomnia, lung-heat cough, nephritic edema, difficult urination, and low-grade fever. Regular consumption of duck meat is most beneficial for those who are weak with yin deficiency, have edema with poor appetite, dry stools, or persistent low-grade fever. Duck is especially suitable to eat during the dry and hot seasons of summer and autumn.
Duck meat is rich in B vitamins and vitamin E. Its fatty acids are mainly unsaturated fatty acids and low-carbon saturated fatty acids, making it easy to digest. Furthermore, the ratio of fatty acids in duck meat is close to the ideal value, and its chemical composition is similar to olive oil, which helps lower cholesterol. About 100 grams of duck meat contains approximately 300 milligrams of potassium, which is related to heart rhythm. High potassium can counteract sodium, and high sodium is a major cause of high blood pressure. Therefore, eating more duck meat instead of other meats is a very healthy choice.
Tainan: Eating White Pomelo
During Frost's Descent, the second rice crop in southern Taiwan is mature and ready for harvest, and it is also the harvest season for white pomelos in Madou Town, Tainan. White pomelos have the effect of lowering blood pressure and reducing fever. In the south, Kaohsiung and Pingdong's Donggang have fish like bor chuan and mu zei. In the north, the estuary of Tamsui has lobsters. Additionally, October 25th is Taiwan's Retrocession Day.
Finally, a reminder: During Frost's Descent, it is advisable to choose foods with a warm and moist nature. It is recommended to eat more foods rich in antioxidants that can clear free radicals and harmful substances from the gastrointestinal tract. For example, sweet potatoes, jujubes, tofu, cabbage, milk, and carrots can strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach. Apples, pomelos, grapes, oranges, and pineapples can prevent fat accumulation, benefit the heart, and generate fluids to quench thirst. Kelp, seaweed, black beans, soybeans, mung beans, red beans, millet, and chestnuts can prevent vascular hardening and are good for the skin. Nut foods like walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, longans, and peanuts can replenish trace elements in a timely manner and are beneficial for bone health.